- Ghanaian national Samuel Opoku was arrested in the United States alongside a second suspect over an alleged email fraud scheme
- Investigators from the Troup County Sheriff's Office launched the investigation in 2025 after a local church reported losing more than US$60,000 (approximately KSh 7.8 million)
- The two suspects allegedly manipulated email communications and redirected funds intended for a legitimate organisation into accounts they controlled
A Ghanaian national, Samuel Opoku, is in custody in the United States after authorities linked him to an alleged email fraud scheme that caused a local church to lose more than US$60,000 (approximately KSh 7.8 million).
Source: UGC
Opoku was arrested alongside Ousmane Gassama Diaby, who is based in Arlington, Virginia. The two men face several criminal charges linked to the alleged scheme, which investigators say targeted a church by manipulating email communications and financial transactions.
How the Alleged Church Fraud Scheme Unfolded
Investigators from the Troup County Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigations Division opened the case in 2025 after a local church filed a complaint reporting the financial loss.
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After months of tracing the money, detectives identified Opoku and Diaby as suspects in the alleged fraud.
Opoku was arrested first, and a warrant was subsequently issued for Diaby.
According to a FOX 5 Atlanta report published on 19 October 2026, Diaby had been in Ghana for several months while authorities sought him. Officers eventually travelled to New Jersey to arrest him shortly after he returned to the United States in October 2026.
Lieutenant Stewart Smith of the Troup County Sheriff's Office explained how the alleged scheme worked, saying the suspects manipulated email communications involving a church and an organisation with which it had an existing relationship.
“They were manipulating emails, manipulating accounts where this church had a relationship with a previous organisation, and the church legitimately thought they were sending funds to this legitimate organisation,” he said.
Smith added that the suspects allegedly created other accounts to receive the money before withdrawing it through automated teller machines (ATMs).
“What these two individuals were doing, they were creating other accounts and the money was being deposited in there and they were able to take that and actually make cash transactions from ATMs,” Lt Smith said.
Charges Faced by the Two Suspects
Diaby faces multiple felony charges, including five counts of identity theft, money laundering, theft by taking and initiating deceptive commercial emails.
Opoku faces similar charges in connection with the same alleged scheme.
The case highlights how email fraud can exploit trust between organisations and their financial partners. Investigators allege that the church believed it was transferring money to a legitimate organisation, while the funds were instead redirected to accounts controlled by the suspects.
The allegations remain subject to the criminal justice process, and the charges do not by themselves establish guilt as reported by YEN News.
Nigerian Man Jailed in US Over $15 Million Fraud
In a separate case, TUKO.co.ke previously reported on Nigerian national Chukwuemeka Amachukwu, who was sentenced to eight years in a US federal prison over fraud, hacking and identity theft schemes that caused more than US$15 million (approximately KSh 1.95 billion) in losses.
The schemes involved hacking tax preparation businesses, stealing personal information belonging to hundreds of customers and seeking millions of dollars in fraudulent tax refunds.
Amachukwu was also accused of selling victims investments that did not exist while posing as a wealthy overseas financier.
Source: TUKO.co.ke